STATEMENT BY VOICE OF ISRAEL FARSI (PERSIAN) SECTION ON 15.12.2003 INTERVIEW
WITH DM MOFAZ
(Communicated by The Voice of Israel, Farsi [Persian] Section)
Wednesday, 24 December, 2003

Following is a statement by the Voice of Israel Farsi (Persian) Section
Director Menashe Amir:

"On Monday, 15.12.2003, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz was interviewed on the
Voice of Israel's Farsi (Persian) broadcasts and responded to questions from
listeners in Iran.

All of Minister Mofaz's answers to listeners' questions regarding the
Iranian nuclear threat emphasized the importance of the friendship which
prevailed in Iranian-Israeli relations prior to the rise of the
fundamentalist regime in Teheran.

I very much regret that an incorrect quotation from Minister Mofaz's remarks
that appeared in reports in Israel about the interview, and the erroneous
interpretations that were based on remarks that the Minister never made,
have provided the Iranian regime with an excuse to begin a propaganda
campaign against the State of Israel and to create an atmosphere of warlike
tension.

The Voice of Israel Farsi (Persian) Section, in its news broadcasts since
this past Sunday, has put matters straight and has even rebroadcast both the
Defense Minister's remarks and their translation into Farsi in order to show
that all of the Minister's remarks to the citizens of Iran were those of
friendship and reconciliation, and that there was no hint of threat.
Nevertheless, the Iranian Defense Minister and other VIPs in the leadership
have seen fit to reiterate the incorrect remarks that were published in
Israel in order to step up the propaganda and fan the flames of hatred
toward the State of Israel.

In order to put matters straight in the Israeli media as well, here is a
transcript of a question from an Iranian listener on the nuclear issue and
Minister Mofaz's reply:

Question of listener (in Farsi): 'Israel's nuclear strategy is based on the
premise that if Israel is subject to an Iranian nuclear attack, Israel will
respond with a nuclear attack. But the problem is that the leaders of the
Islamic regime in Iran have repeatedly declared that they attribute no
importance whatsoever to the lives of Iranian citizens. Isn't Israel's
strategy on this issue mistaken? What does the Minister think about this
issue?"

Answer of Minister Shaul Mofaz (in Hebrew): 'Currently, the United States,
together with the [UN] Security Council is leading the additional protocol
process vis-a-vis intrusive inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities and I
believe that, at the present time, this is the correct thing to do.' The
Minister continued: 'If - Heaven forbid - in the future, Iran obtains
nuclear weapons and threatens to use them against the State of Israel, the
State of Israel will know how to defend its citizens without harming Iranian
citizens.' We have the full transcript and will put it at the disposal of
all who so wish. Minister Mofaz's remarks were made in Hebrew and may be
heard exactly as they were broadcast. The Minister's remarks contained no
statement that could be interpreted as indicating aggressive intentions
toward Iran on the nuclear - or any other - issue, such as Iran's increasing
support for Palestinian terrorism.

In this interview, Minister Mofaz also emphasized the importance of the
diplomatic efforts now being made by the United States and the [UN] Security
Council to get Iran to abandon plans to produce a nuclear bomb.

The Minister's remarks were enthusiastically received by listeners in Iran,
most of whom expressed deep admiration for the State of Israel and a shared
fate with the Jewish people. I gained the impression that the Defense
Minister, throughout the interview, repeatedly extended his hand in peace to
the citizens of Iran and emphasized the importance of cooperation between
the two peoples, including in regard to the security and prosperity of the
entire region."